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264 



AUDUBON 



imii 



The dogs soon began to mouth, and suddenly quickened 

 their pice. My companion concluded that the beast was 

 on the ground, and putting our horses to a gentle gallop, 

 we followed the curs, guided by their voices. The noise 

 of the dogs increased, when, all of a sudden their mode 

 of barking became altered, and the squatter, urging me 

 to push on, told me that the beast was treed, by which he 

 meant that it had got upon some low branch of a large 

 tree to rest for a few moments, and that should we not 

 succeed in shooting him when thus situated, we might 

 expect a long chase of it. As we approached the spot, 

 we all by degrees united into a body, but on seeing the 

 dogs at the foot of a large tree, separated again, and gal- 

 loped off to surround it. 



Each hunter now moved with caution, holding his gun 

 ready, and allowing the bridle to dangle on the neck of 

 his horse, as it advanced slowly towards the dogs. A 

 shot from one of the party was heard, on which the 

 Cougar was seen to leap to the ground, and bound off 

 with such velocity as to show that he was very unwilling 

 to stand our fire longer. The dogs set off in pursuit with 

 great eagerness and a deafening cry. The hunter who 

 had fired came up and said that his ball had hit the mon- 

 ster, and had probably broken one of his fore-legs near 

 the shoulder, the only place at which he could aim. A 

 slight trail of blood was discovered on the ground, but 

 the curs proceeded at such a rate that we merely noticed 

 this, and put spurs to our horses, which galloped on 

 towards the centre of the Swamp. One bayou was 

 crossed, then another still larger and more muddy; but 

 the dogs were brushing forward, and as the horses began 

 to pant at a furious rate, we judged it expedient to leave 

 them and advance on foot. These determined hunters 

 knew that the Cougar being wounded, would shortly 

 ascend another tree, where in all probability he would 

 remain for a considerable time, and that it would be easy 



